Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment are joining forces to turn the Dr. Seuss book “The Lorax” into a 3-D CG animated feature.

“Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” will be co-directed by Chris Renaud and Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio, with Paul & Daurio writing the script.
The picture is targeted for a March 2, 2012, release, which falls on the birthday of Theodor Geisel, who died in 1991.

Charlize Theron’s Denver and Delilah Films has acquired screen rights to Christopher Buckley’s satirical novel “Florence of Arabia.” Theron will produce and develop the film as a star vehicle.

Pic will be written by Dean Craig.

“Florence of Arabia” is about a State Dept. employee (to be played by Theron) who, after watching her friend marry the prince of a Middle East country and subsequently get executed, fights for equal rights for the women of that country.

Universal Pictures is pushing the film out of its November 6th slot and placing it on February 12, 2010. That’s one week after the release of the creature feature The Cabin in the Woods by Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon.

While on the set of Halloween 2 earlier this year, an acquaintance and I witnessed a night scene in which a helicopter hovered above Michael Myers. We witnessed this scene again and again and again. On the first few takes, we laughed at the bizarre noise (and at the sheer giddy thrill of hangin’ in Haddonfield) being yelled by the towering actor Tyler Mane as Myers in said scene—I won’t reveal further details at this time. However, after about the fifth take, and against the whirring of a ‘copter and an excruciating windchill, it seemed like Michael Myers was in fact emitting a single, fully-constructed word.

A dozen Hollywood production companies have filed a new lawsuit against file-sharing Web site the Pirate Bay. Columbia Pictures, Disney Enterprises, Universal Studios and 10 others are demanding the site’s operators be fined and prevented from distributing TV-series including “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives” and films such as “Batman.”

Bryce Dallas Howard has joined the cast of “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” the third installment in Summit Entertainment’s vampire franchise. She replaces Rachelle Lefevre as the character of Victoria. Lefevre originated the role in “Twilight” and appears in the upcoming sequel “New Moon,” but Summit says scheduling conflicts forced her to leave the picture. Pic starts shooting in Vancouver in August under the direction of David Slade. “Eclipse” has a release date of June 30, 2010.

Screenwriter Sheldon Turner is becoming even more “inFAMOUS.” Sony Pictures has pre-emptively picked up a pitch from Turner to adapt the Sucker Punch Prods. video game into a feature film. The deal is for seven figures. The studio is working out a deal for rights to the game, which was published by sister company Sony Computer Entertainment. Avi Arad and Ari Arad will produce. Sony executives Matt Tolmach and Jonathan Kadin are handling for the studio.